Dubai or Dubayy refers to either

• One of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates on the Arabian Peninsula, or
• That emirate's main city, sometimes called "Dubai City" to distinguish it from the emirate.

The ruler of Dubai is Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also the Vice-President of the federation of the United Arab Emirates. Dubai is the second largest emirate in the federation after Abu Dhabi. The emirate is located on the Persian Gulf, southwest of Sharjah and northeast of Abu Dhabi.

Dubai's enormous constructions and developments in various industries through innovative real estate projects, sports events, shopping festivals and conferences has attracted world-wide attention for Dubai City, establishing it as the world's leading business hub.

Dubai is distinct from other members of the UAE in that revenues from oil account for only 10% of its gross domestic product. A majority of the emirate's revenues are from the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZ) and now, increasingly, from tourism.

Dubai has a rich cultural scene with art museums, film festivals (Dubai film festival) and performing arts centers, in addition to being a shopper's delight, hosting the annually held Dubai Shopping Festival. Dubai is a city of excitement waiting to be explored holding the potential for one of the most significant international cities of the 21st century.